Unremarkable Me

I’m not remarkable. Not lately anyway, and certainly not at Acton. I’m not the top student in grades, top third at best. My team didn’t win the sales challenge nor any of the Operations course simulations. I won’t likely be the teachers’ selection for Student of the Year or whatever they call it. My business wasn’t selected by my classmates for the opportunity pitch project. Perhaps my most lasting impression on the program itself will be my recommendation of Po Bronson's What Should I Do with My Life, which was added to the Life of Meaning course reading list, or, more dubiously, my all-time top scores in several of the Pre-Mat simulation games. Big whoop.


Granted, coming to Acton in itself is somewhat remarkable, as is actually making it through this crazy program (only eight weeks left!), but within the context of Acton itself, I’m no different than anyone. I am making it through while dealing with the constant pain and nausea of a nasty ulcer, as well as while dealing with a lawsuit from the City of Denver during the whole first semester (though I hesitate to even talk about or write about either the ulcer or the lawsuit, because I don’t want that kind of attention). I also built a business in my spare time while here, a business that may make me heaps of money very quickly (or not at all), but no one else cares much about that either.

So what’s the takeaway from all my unremarkableness? First, I have to remember that it’s not about approval. Who cares about being remarkable and special? I’m here to learn. Period. Second, the humility is probably good for me. Why do I have to be remarkable at all? Third, and the whole reason I was inspired to write this journal entry at all, is that whenever I find and join a group likeminded people, I will, by definition, not be remarkable within that group.

Even this year’s valedictorian, whomever that may be, is just another Acton valedictorian of many. Further, he or she is – in the bigger picture – just another Acton student, and is – in the biggest picture of all – just another largely untested entrepreneur out of many millions on the planet. Who cares? What we do to serve the world is far more important than how others approve of us or how much we stand out from the crowd and feel cool.

If I do want to be remarkable (which may be a questionable goal to begin with), I’ve got to be different from the people with whom I surround myself. But being different from my peers has both pros and cons. I don’t like being unremarkable, but I don’t like being an outsider all the time either. Where’s the balance? How can I be remarkable and be a contributing member of a community at the same time?